LETTERS: IN HOLLAND, MAY 5 IS DAY OF GRATITUDE

To the editor:

I have been e-mailing a friend in Holland for some time. On May 5 he sent a message that I think would be good to publish. Harrie van Beek is a 75-year-old man in Holland, and he wishes to pass on the gratitude that the people of Holland have for the help in the liberation of their country in World War II. Harrie's message comes from the heart. Here is his message:

Hallo, John: Today it is the 5th of May. A special day in the Netherlands. Today it is 55 years ago the German Occupation surrendered in the town of Wageningen. It meant the end of the war and oppression for us and the end of famine for a great part of the Dutch population. We just watched TV broadcasting the military veterans of Great Britain, Canada and, not in the last place, U.S of America marching past the authorities. Among them was Prince Bernhardt, the husband of our late queen Juliana and father of Queen Beatrix. In 1945 he was one of the officers who accepted the surrender of the German army in N.W. of Europe. This day we always memorize as a day of great relief. And we are grateful to all the men coming from all over the world, from Australia and New Zealand, From Canada and North America, who delivered unimaginable struggle for the freedom of people strange to them. Many, too many, gave their lives.

It is hardly possible to find words which could express this gratefulness. I was deeply moved, seeing one of those veterans, 97 years old, marching before our prince. I have never been in the opportunity to personally thank only one of those brave men. You are too young to have been one of them, but I suppose you could know one of them. Please, you could do me a favor by expressing the gratefulness of a simple Dutchman to him or maybe his father. Here in Holland we will never forget them. With kind regards, Harrie van Beek.

JOHN R. HECKROTTE

Cape Girardeau